Man who killed wife discovered to be claiming widower pension

A man who killed his wife in 2005 in Sils, Girona, started receiving a widower's pension from the Social Security system (INSS) the following day, it has emerged.

Llorenç Morell was sentenced to 18 years in jail after the body of his wife, Consol Galcerán, was discovered laying next to her car on July 21, 2005 near the Sils-Santa Coloma de Farners highway.

Her body was riddled with stab wounds, leading to an early hypothesis of a car-jacking. However, three months later Morell was arrested.

On July 22 Morell began claiming a widower's pension allowance of 592 euros a month, with two extra payments a year. To date he has received more than 40,000 euros, according to Catalan daily El Punt Avui. When the lawyer acting for Galcerán's family, Carlos Monguilod, sought the 85,000 euros compensation handed down in the original sentence it was discovered that the INSS was unable to embargo the pension as it was below minimum wage.

The Employment Ministry, which oversees the INSS, stepped in and the High Court informed the INSS that Morell had been convicted of killing his wife.

"The killer was at liberty for three months and during this time acted normally to not arouse suspicions, and, among other things he arranged the pension," said Monguilod, adding the situation was "scandalous and unacceptable."